Dragon Quest
by Dede42
Summary: When the Great Dragon Migration takes place, Spike starts to wonder where he really came from, and he decides to seek out the dragons to learn more about his dragon roots. Will he be successful?
1. Chapter 1: DRAGON MIGRATION

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Dragon Quest

A/N: Hello, everyone, Sunrise Blossom here to post on the behalf of Dede42, who is currently getting stuff ready to go to Salt Lake Fan-X Spring 19 with her sister, Yami Faerie, and is a bit disappointed that when she went to the dentist yesterday, he didn't do the root canal and worked on repairing the filling on a different tooth.

Dede42: Yeah, it's annoying that I have to wait until next Wednesday to get the second root canal done.

Sunrise Blossom: Hey, shouldn't you be getting ready?

Dede42: I am, I just wanted to share a little is all.

Sunrise Blossom: Good point, anyway it's time to start a new adventure.

Dede42: Onward with the story!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: DRAGON MIGRATION**

It was a clear sunny day in Equestria. Some distance from Ponyville, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were busy digging a large hole in the ground for an important event, and Twilight Sparkle, Sunrise Blossom, and Rainbow Dash were trying to convince Fluttershy to leave her house and joined them for the event.

"C'mon, Fluttershy, it'll be fun!" Twilight Sparkle said brightly as Rainbow Dash flew backwards, dragging the yellow pegasus toward the door by her tail.

However, Fluttershy managed to pull free and ran forward with the blue pegasus giving chase. "There's nothing fun about dragons!" she protested. "Scary, yes! Fun, no!"

"But Fluttershy, the great dragon migration happens only once in a generation!" Sunrise Blossom pointed out as Rainbow Dash shoved the yellow pegasus toward the door. "Do you really wanna pass up a chance like that?"

Reaching the door, Fluttershy clamped her legs on either side of the door, grunting as the blue pegasus tried to shove her through. "Now that you put it that way, _yes_!" she snapped, refusing to move.

The twins teleported outside so that they were face-to-face with the yellow pegasus. "Aw, Fluttershy, we just don't want you to miss out."

"Miss out on what?" Fluttershy demanded, still refusing to move and grunting as the blue pegasus kept trying to pus her out. "Dragons? Big, scaly, fire-breathing dragons?"

The twins nodded. "Well… yeah!"

"Thanks, but… no thanks!" the yellow pegasus snapped.

Rainbow Dash stopped pushing in frustration. "Look, Fluttershy," she said, pulling out a photo of them watching a migration of butterflies, "I watched that boring butterfly migration with you, so now it's your turn to watch the dragon migration with me! You owe me!" And she resumed pushing her friend.

"I… said… _no_!" Fluttershy shrieked, shoved herself backwards so that she crashed on top of the blue pegasus, winding her as she stomped her her stomach before jumping away.

"Yeaagh! Ugh!" Rainbow Dash grunted and the twins gasped as the yellow pegasus fled to the nearest window, opened it, and leapt out before they could stop her.

Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom ran to the window and watched as their friend fled into the distance. Sighing, they turned back to look at the dazed blue pegasus.

"Okay, I guess I'll let you off the hook this time," Rainbow Dash mumbled, positive that she was seeing colorful butterflies dancing around her head.

* * *

After making sure that Rainbow Dash would be okay, they headed back to the completed trench, which was now lined with small bushes that they could peer through, and joined Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Sarah, and Spike as they waited for the arrival of the dragon migration.

Putting on camouflage gear, Twilight Sparkle peered above the bushes, aiming binoculars at the sky. "I don't see any dragons," she whispered, frowning.

Applejack, also wearing camouflage gear, popped up next to her with her own binoculars. "Me neither," she agreed, whispering as well.

"Me neither neither," Pinkie Pie agreed, only she was looking through the wrong end of the binoculars.

"Shoot!" Rainbow Dash complained. "You don't think we missed them, do you?"

"No, I don't think so," said Sunrise Blossom. "We're just a little early, and I'm glad we are. This way, we can watch every moment of the migration without bringing any unwanted attention to ourselves!"

Just then Rarity arrived and called out to her friends, startling them. "_Yoo-hoo_! Well?" she asked when they looked at as she walked over to the trench on a red carpet and party horns went off, sending confetti everywhere. "What do you think?" she inquired, showing off the fancy camouflage she was wearing. "Am I the toast of the trench or what?"

"You'll be toast alright," Applejack agreed with an annoyed expression, "when the dragons see you parading around in that getup."

Twilight Sparkle used her magic to make the confetti disappear. "You look very nice, Rarity," she complimented, "but could you maybe look nice down here in the trench with us?"

Beaming, Rarity joined them in the trench, but she still wasn't whispering. "Nice is an understatement," she declared. "I look _fabulous_! Who says camouflage has to be drab?"

"Ahoy, maties!" Pinkie Pie whispered excitedly. "Dragons ho!" And sure enough, the dragons were soon flying overhead, and there were _a lot_ of them.

"Oooh… Ahhhh!" went the ponies, watching in amazement as the dragons flew above them, some of the dragons doing ariel stunts mid-flight. "Wow, amazing!"

"Pfft, pretty lame move," Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Is that all they've got?"

Just then, two of the dragons had a mid-air fight and one of them blasted a blast of fire that missed the other dragon, and hit the blue pegasus instead while the other ponies dove for cover.

When the smoke cleared, Applejack smirked at her friend's stunned expression and her charred complexion. "What do ya think of _that _'move', Rainbow Dash?" she teased quietly while their friends all snickered. "Still think they're lame?"

"Uh, not so much," Rainbow Dash admitted. "The word 'fierce' comes to mind."

"And 'formidable'," Rarity agreed quietly.

Pinkie Pie was on the ground, covering her head with her forelegs, and she was shaking. "And 'super-duper scary'!" she whispered fearfully and then perked up when Spike gave her a cupcake with pink frosting.

"Yeah," the baby dragon agreed, passing out snacks to the ponies and he was wearing a pink apron with a heart on the front. "Us dragons are definitely a force to be reckoned with."

Rainbow Dash, however, fell over as she began laughing. "Yeah, right, Spike," she whispered. "That's one of the _scariest _aprons I've ever seen!" And soon enough, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were laughing, too.

Spike frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "What's wrong with wearing an apron?" he demanded. "_You _won't be laughing when _you _spill blueberries all over _your _scales. Feathers. That's one tough stain!"

"One _tough stain _against one _lame _dragon," the blue pegasus mocked, still laughing.

"Spike _isn't_ lame, Rainbow," Sarah protested. "He's brave and amazing."

"Yeah, so quit bullying him," Sunrise Blossom agreed, frowning at her laughing friend.

Rarity was also frowning at the blue pegasus. "You leave him alone, Rainbow Dash!" she snapped. "Spike's style is unique. He doesn't have to look like other dragons."

"Or act like them," Twilight Sparkle agreed.

"My little Spikey-wikey is perfect the way he is," Rarity added, patting the baby dragon on the head.

Spike, who'd been grateful by the words of Sarah and Sunrise Blossom, frowned in confusion. "I don't act like other dragons?" he asked.

"Oh, not even close!" Pinkie Pie agreed.

Applejack nodded. "But why would you want to, Spike?"

"Yes," said Rarity. "You've got something those dreadfully fierce dragons can only dream of."

"What's that?" the baby dragon asked eagerly.

Rarity squeezed his cheeks playfully. "The cutest widdle chubby cheeks! Ooooo!"

"Cute?!" Spike yelped, pulling away from the grey unicorn, feeling _very _hurt and confused as his face turned red. "Dragons aren't supposed to be cute! Right?" he asked desperately.

"Oh, sweetie, you are turning the most delightful shade of red," Rarity giggled. "It is most becoming."

"Rrrgh!" the baby dragon growled and stormed out of the trench.

"Oh, isn't he adorable when he waddles off in anger?" the grey unicorn inquired, still giggling.

Spike froze for a moment. "_Waddle_?! Rrrrrggggh!" he screamed and ran away.

"Guys," Sunrise Blossom said, frowning at her sister and their friends. "That wasn't very nice. You _really_ hurt Spike's feelings by talking about him like that."

"We did?" Rainbow Dash asked, and when both the orange unicorn and the red unicorn nodded, she began feeling guilty and so did the others.

Had they _really_ hurt the baby dragon's feelings by saying that he didn't act like most dragons?

* * *

A/N: Maybe Spike overreacted a little, but that wasn't the nice kind of teasing at all. So, you can expect the next update on Tuesday. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: SPIKE'S DECISION

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Dragon Quest

A/N: Hello, world and welcome to the next installment of _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_! Yup, I'm back after spending the weekend with my sister, Yami Faerie, at Salt Lake FanX 2019. There we had photo ops with Billie Piper, who played Rose Tyler on _Doctor Who_, and Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the _Harry Potter_ movies. We had a lot of fun and we dressed up in costumes on both days, too.

Anyway, time to see what Spike is going to do after all that rude teasing. On with the story!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: SPIKE'S DECISION**

Later that same night, Spike was lying in his bed, unable to sleep, and he kept thinking about what had been said concerning the type of dragon he was. Until that moment, he hadn't much thought about dragons other then what he'd seen and heard over the years, and yet… why _was_ he different from other dragons? Was it because he'd been raised by Twilight Sparkle and Sunrise Blossom?

"What am I?" he wondered. "Where am I from? Who am I supposed to be?"

Twilight Sparkle, who'd stuffed her head under her pillow in an attempt to sleep, finally toss it aside. "Uuugh! I don't know!" she complained, sitting up to look at him. "For the last time, Spike, you were given to Sunrise and I as an egg. I don't know who found you or _where _they found you."

"Seriously? That's all you know?" the baby dragon questioned, disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Spike," the purple unicorn apologized, wishing that she could help her friend.

"That doesn't tell me anything about who I am! I need answers!" Spike complained, getting out of bed and looked at his reflection in the mirror. "I feel like I'm… I'm looking at a complete stranger. Oh!" He then dropped to the floor, curling up in a ball as tears fell out of his eyes.

Twilight Sparkle got out of her bed and went to his side. "Oh, Spike," she said and got an idea. "Why don't we do some late-night research? See what we can find out," she offered.

The baby dragon sat up with an eager expression. "Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course!" the purple unicorn agreed and they went downstairs to start their search. "I'm sure we can find something."

* * *

However, when morning came and Sarah came downstairs to find that nearly every book was on the floor, and Twilight Sparkle was still searching.

"Nothing," the purple unicorn moaned, magically putting down the book she'd been looking through and picked up another one. "Nothing in this one either!"

Spike looked up from the book he'd been reading. "Nothing at _all _about dragons?" he asked, disappointed once again. "This is getting ridiculous!"

"Um, why are you two researching dragons?" Sarah questioned.

Twilight Sparkle sighed and explained about how she wanted to help the baby dragon find out more about dragons and so far they weren't having any luck. "It's hard to believe, but ponies know next to nothing about dragons," she concluded. "Apparently they're too rare and too scary to try to talk to or study!"

Spike began tearing up again, upset at their failure. "I wonder if dragons cry…"

"Aw, Spike," said the two unicorns, giving him a hug.

The baby dragon was grateful, but it didn't help his problem. "It's okay, Twilight, Sarah," he said, pulling away and headed for the front door. "I'm gonna discover who I am if it's the last thing I do!"

Just then, the door opened to reveal Sunrise Blossom, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

"Yoo-hoo!" said the grey unicorn cheerfully.

"Hey, guys!" said the blue pegasus.

"Morning," said Sunrise Blossom and was surprised to see the books on the floor. "Uh, late night research?" she guessed and Spike, who'd yelped and dove into a pile of books, poke his head out and nodded.

"Ya wanna join us for breakfast?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight Sparkle nodded eagerly. "That sounds great. I'm famished."

"Count me out," said the baby dragon, climbing out of the book pile and went to pack provisions. "I've gotta get an early start!"

"An early start?" Rarity repeated, confused.

"Yes!" Spike confirmed. "I'm going on a quest of self-discovery! I need to learn what it means to be a dragon! And the only way I'm gonna do that is to join the dragon migration!"

"_What_?!" yelped the four unicorns and the blue pegasus.

Rainbow Dash went over to the baby dragon as he packed up food and other items. "Spike, that's nonsense talk!" she objected. "I know that you're a dragon, but _those _dragons mean business! They're big, and tough, and scary…"

"And I'm small, and meek… and I like to wear aprons," Spike interrupted, glowering at her for a moment. "See? This is exactly why I need to spend time with them."

"All I'm saying is that you could get hurt," the blue pegasus pointed out, wondering if her taunts yesterday had really lead to this decision.

Rarity also joined them and tried to talk the baby dragon down. "Darling, this time I really do have to agree with Rainbow Dash," she stated. "I don't want those big, ugly, nasty dragons to hurt one little scale on your cutesy-wutesy head!" And she rubbed his head with one hoof.

Sighing, Spike politely removed her hoof, tied up his provisions and put them on a stick. "I'm sorry, but I've made up my mind," he declared and he headed for the door.

"Oh, uh, quick, do something!" the grey unicorn yelped. "Stop him before it's too late!"

Rainbow Dash flew forward and soon she and the baby dragon were struggling over his pack. "Ngh! Hey! Give it back!"

Twilight Sparkle immediately teleported between them and used her magic to force them apart. "Hold it!"

"Whoa!"

"Aaagh!"

Spike glared at the purple unicorn and was surprised when she gave him his pack. "_Really_?"

"Don't tell me you think he should go?" the blue pegasus asked, shocked.

"Yes, Spike," Twilight Sparkle confirmed. "I couldn't answer your questions. My books couldn't either. I understand why you want to look elsewhere. I truly believe you need to go on this quest. And we have no right to stop you."

"I'm with Twilight," Sunrise Blossom agreed. "You _do_ have a right to figure out what kind of dragon you are, Spike, and if traveling with other dragons during their migration is the best way to do, then go for it."

Sarah nodded, also agreeing. "And when you get back, imagine all the stories you'll get to share with us," she added.

Realizing that they weren't going to stop the baby dragon from leaving, Rarity sighed and reluctantly agreed with them. "I suppose not."

"I still say you're nutty," Rainbow Dash remarked, "but hey, I've done _lots _of nutty things."

"We know," her friend said together and she glowered.

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye, Spike," the purple unicorn informed the baby dragon. "We can't wait to hear about it when you return."

The blue pegasus nodded. "Yeah, we hope your trip-" she began and rolled her eyes when the word "Quest" was used "-your quest answers some of your pesky "Who am I?" questions."

"Thanks, everypony," Spike said gratefully, beaming at them. "I know it will." And he hurried out the door to start his quest.

"Goodbye, Spikey-wikey!"

"Go get 'em, big guy!"

"We have faith in you!"

"Good luck, Spike!"

"Happy travels!"

The moment that the baby dragon was gone, Rarity turned to her friends. "We're following him, right?" she asked and they all nodded.

"Of course."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, our favorite ponies aren't going to let Spike wander off without some backup. I will see you all tomorrow with the next chapter. See you all tomorrow! Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	3. Chapter 3: SPIKE'S QUEST

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Dragon Quest

A/N: Hello, everyone, Sunrise Blossom here posting on the behalf of Dede42, who is going back to bed since she was up late doing her laundry. Turns out that the washing machine broke down, so she had to go to a laundromat to get it washed and then brought it back home to use the dryer. I wish my magic could help, but it can't with human-related stuff.

Anyway, time to see how Spike's quest is doing.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE: SPIKE'S QUEST**

Spike followed the dragon migration, crossing mountains, rivers, and through forests. During this time, he made a point of observing the interactions of the dragons flying high overhead, and he learned a lot about their rough-housing activities. It wasn't easy traveling on the ground, especially when it got stormy, but he was determined to learn everything he could from the dragons, and nothing was going to stop him.

* * *

After several days of travel, Spike saw in the distance that the dragons were landing in a volcanic area, and he hurried toward the same location, passing a tree that had a phoenix nest, and – after tripping and sliding down the side of the volcano, he finally reached the top. Panting, his jaw dropped when he saw all of the dragons, and they came in all different kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors.

Hearing shouts and laughter, the baby dragon peered downward and saw on the mostly solid surface, a group of teenage dragons rough-housing. "Alright, teenage dragons!" he exclaimed, excited. "Now that's more my speed. And size." And he slid down the interior of the volcano.

* * *

Seconds later, a strange-looking blue/green dragon covered with gems arrived at the edge of the crater, and had any of the dragons paid attention, they would've heard the sounds of exertion coming from the five ponies hiding inside the 'dragon'.

_`"I'm telling you,"` _Rainbow Dash hissed, using her wings to get them on the edge, _`"we'll never pass for a real dragon!"`_

_`"Oh, pish-posh!"` _said Rarity from the very back. _`"This costume is fabulous, one of my finer creations."`_

"Shh!" Twilight Sparkle hissed from the front, peering through the mouth of the costume. "We'll never pass if they hear _five _voices coming out of _one _dragon! Now come on, let's go!" And both Sunrise Blossom and Sarah agreed, although they were wishing that they had stayed behind Ponyville. Working together, they slid down into the crater.

* * *

Meanwhile, the group of teenage dragons were cheering, rough-housing, and eating gems when Spike reached them and he tapped the leg of a red dragon named Garble, getting his attention. "Um, excuse me? Uh, hi. I'm Spike."

Fume, a light blue dragon, confronted the baby dragon. "You sure your name is Spike and not _Shrimp_?!" And the other dragons laughed mockingly.

"No, it's Spike!" Spike insisted. "I'm not, I mean, I'm sure about that…"

A dark brown dragon named Clump, snickered and poked him in the back. "You look more like _Peewee _to me." And the dragons laughed some more.

"Hey guys, c'mon, seriously," Garble snapped and they stopped laughing. "Leave him alone or he might fly away. That is, uh, if he had any wings!" He then laughed and the other dragons joined in.

"You fly in on your mommy's back during the migration?" Clump inquired.

The baby dragon flushed. "Not exactly…"

"No, no, can't you see baby Spike just hatched?" Fume pointed out while poking him in the back. "I bet he still sucks his claw at night!"

"No, I haven't sucked my claw in months!" Spike insisted as the dragons laughed.

"Well, if you weren't just hatched, how come we haven't seen you around before?" Garble inquired since he was a bit curious.

"Oh, well, y'see, I live in Ponyville and-" Spike began.

Garble burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Ponyville? That explains it!" he sneered. "I knew there was something vaguely pony-ish about you! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were part pony!"

"Who, me? I'm not part pony!" the baby dragon insisted. "I'm all dragon, see? Raar!" And yet when he tried to roar, it didn't turn out very strong and the other teenage dragons laughed.

"Or maybe you're a pony in a _dragon costume,_" Garble suggest smugly, leaving the other dragons laughing hard.

Fume was laughing so hard that he clung to the 'dragon' next to him for support until he could recover. "A pony in a dragon costume…!"

"Aheh… yeah… hilarious," the 'dragon' agreed in a deep voice.

"Nnh, I _am _a real dragon!" Spike shouted, stomping his foot in frustration.

"Oh, yeah? Prove it," Garble challenged.

The baby dragon swallowed. "Well… how?"

"By acting like one!" Garble snapped. "Who's up for a little belching contest?" And the teenage dragons cheered in agreement.

A white dragon named Fizzle went first, belching out a long flame of fire. Fume went next and his belch of fire went further, and when Clump took his turn, he belched out a super-long blast of fire that had the dragons scattering, including the one that the ponies were hiding inside. Recovering, the dragons cheered Clump, who coughed a bit.

Impressed by his follow dragons, Garble turned to Spike, who was looking _very _nervous. "You think you can beat that, Peewee?" he challenged.

Spike gulped and was about to take his turn, when he felt his stomach cramping up and belched out a small blast of green fire that transformed into a scroll that landed on the ground, and the teenage dragons exchanged confused looks.

"Huh?"

Garble picked up the scroll and unfurled it. "_From the desk of Princess Celestia. Dear Spike, please te-"_ he began to read and then laughed. "Ha! Get this, guys! Spike's pen-pals with a namby-pamby pony princess!" He crumbled the paper and tossed it into a small lava pool while the other dragons felling over each other, laughing.

* * *

Inside the dragon costume, Twilight Sparkle gasped. "How can he just throw that away?!" she hissed, upset. "That letter could be something important!"

"We can't worry about that now, Twilight," Rainbow Dash whispered. "We're here to help Spike!"

"Yeah, we can find out from the Princess what that letter was suppose to be about later," Sunrise Blossom added.

"I know, I know!" the purple unicorn grumbled as she repositioned herself on the blue pegasus head. "There's no reason to disrespect Princess Celestia that way!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Garble was thinking of other ways to get the baby dragon to prove himself. "Maybe tail wrestling is more your speed," he suggested, and Spike looked uncertain.

"Yeah!" the teenage dragons cheered."

* * *

A/N: Boy, I forgot how hard of a time those teenage dragons were giving Spike. Well, the next update will be at the normal time on Tuesday. See you all then. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	4. Chapter 4: THE CONTEST CONTINUES

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Dragon Quest

A/N: (Dede42 finishes tying Lyra up with both duct tape and rope, and locks her in the closest, she then turns to the camera.) Hello, world and welcome back to the next installment of _MLP!_ Yes, I have locked up Lyra after the near disaster with the washer, which is working for the time being. Anyway, Spike has managed to find the dragons and he is now having to prove that he _is_ a dragon. Can he do it without getting hurt or worse? On with the story!

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: THE CONTEST CONTINUES**

Spike was having some serious second thoughts about learning about how to act like a proper dragon when he saw two of them link tails._ 'Now what are they going to do?'_ he wondered.

Garble stood between the two dragons whose tails were linked. "Ready… go!" he shouted, slashing the air with one hand and the two dragons struggled until one of them got flipped. Grinning, he held up the tail of the winner. "The winner!" And the dragons cheered loudly.

Spike, who was clutching his own tail, swallowed uneasily. "Good old tail wrestling…"

"We can't let little Spikey-wikey wrestle one of them!" Rarity whispered fearfully. "He'll get clobbered!"

"Let's go!" Twilight Sparkle agreed and they moved forward until they reached the baby dragon and she spoke in a deep voice. "I challenge Spike to a tail wrestle!"

Garble eyed the 'dragon' suspiciously. "Who's this weirdo?"

"I think he's Crackle's cousin," Fume guessed nodding to Crackle, who was identical to the 'dragon'.

"Oh, that would explain it," Garble agreed and turned to the two dragons once their tails were linked. "Ready? Go!"

Spike made sounds of exertion, struggling to flip the 'dragon' - and moments later, the 'dragon' dropped to the ground with a pained grunt.

Impressed, Garble picked up the baby dragon by his tail and held him up. "Spike's the winner!" he announced and dropped him as the dragons cheered. "Nice going, little Spike!" he commented. "Maybe you are a dragon after all!"

Spike sat up, grinning. "Yeah! Maybe I am!"

* * *

"Rainbow Dash, I can't believe your silly plan actually worked," Rarity whispered and grunted when she was kicked in the nose by the blue pegasus, who'd traded places with Sarah to make the plan work. "Ow."

* * *

Spike got up and looked around eagerly at the other teenage dragons. "Alright, who's next?"

"Getting a little cocky, huh?" Garble remarked, smirking. "I like that. So how about you wrestle… him!" He pointed to a blue dragon, who stepped forward to reveal a super long tail with spikes covering it. "Go!" And he laughed when the baby dragon got launched into the air, colliding with the nearest wall with a cry of alarm.

"Whooooooooa!"

* * *

After retrieving Spike from the hole he'd made when he collided with the wall, Garble tucked him under one arm and carried him up a large pile of gems. "So, Spike, you haven't exactly proven yourself as a dragon yet, have you?" he remarked, although he was impressed by the baby dragon's refusal to give up, and when he reached the top of the pile, he set the baby dragon down.

"But… I get an A for effort?" Spike asked hopefully.

"Huh, maybe," said Garble. "Let's see how you do in this next contest." And he knocked the baby dragon down the side of the pile.

"Whaaaaa!" Spike cried, tumbling back down to the ground. "Oof! Wha! Oah! Oof!" And the teenage dragons were laughing once again.

"_King of the hoard_!" Garble roared and the teenage dragons cheered as they began climbing up the sides of the pile in an attempt to dethrone him.

Picking himself up, Spike realized that this was a version of 'King of the Hill', which he was familiar with. "This is my chance." And he began climbing up the pile. Thanks to his small size, most of the dragons ignored him as they struggled to dethrone Garble, who was proving to be _very_ hard to move when he didn't want to.

Spotting the baby dragon, Fume began climbing up the pile to pounce on him, and he was chuckling evil. However, before he could get close enough, the 'dragon' suddenly tackled him off the pile.

"Not so fast!"

* * *

On the top of the gem pile, Clump and Garble were struggling to throw each other off when the red dragon felt a piercing pain under his tail, and he yelped in pain, knocking them both off the pile. "Whoa!" Reaching the bottom, they both looked up and saw the baby dragon was standing on top of the pile, having poked him with one of his sharp head scales.

Realizing that he was on top, Spike began cheering and jumping. "_King of the ho-_" he began, only to end up slipping and falling to the ground once again in a pained heap. "whoa! Oof! Uh! Nuh! Oof!"

"Looks like this is another fail for you, little Spike," Garble remarked, shaking his head sadly since it was rare for any dragon to get the drop on him like that, and this baby dragon had managed to do it. "Can't wait to watch you fail at lava cannonball, too," he added with an evil grin and Spike gulped.

* * *

It wasn't long before the teenage dragons were standing on the edge of a cliff and looking down on a large pool of bubbling lava. Spike took one look and was positive that if he did this contest, he was going to die.

"Whoever makes the biggest lava splash is the ultimate dragon!" Garble announced and then he leapt off the cliff. "_Geronimo_!" And he landed in the pool below with a big splash of lava, and the baby dragon cringed.

"Nuh!"

"Spike's on his own this time," Twilight Sparkle whispered to the others, and they quietly slipped away since their costume wouldn't survive being doused with lava.

The remaining dragons all cheered and leapt off the cliff once after the other, and when Clump leapt, he shouted, "_Cannonball_!" And made a huge lava splash.

Sweating with fear, Spike peered over the edge and he almost fainted right then and there. "Guh!"

"What's wrong, Spike?" Garble taunted. "You afraid the lava will hurt your soft pony hide?" And the teenage dragons all laughed.

However, instead of admitting defeat, Spike gulped and he leapt off the cliff with a scream that was cut short when he ended up belly-flopping on the lava with a loud _thwack!_

The teenage dragons all winced as the baby dragon sank into the lava. "Oooh…"

Seconds later, Spike resurfaced and spat out some of the lava he accidentally swallowed. "Ugh… Was I… that bad?" he asked, positive that they were going to throw him out.

"No, dude. That was awesome!" Garble exclaimed, now fully convinced that the baby dragon was _really _a dragon. "No pony could live through a belly flop like that!" He chuckled. "You're one tough little dragon." And the other teenage dragons gave their approval, too.

* * *

A short while later, a dragon named Baff snorted like a kazoo and the teenage dragons formed a tunnel with their tails. Although feeling a bit awkward, Spike walked through the tunnel and stopped before Garble.

"Spike, by belly flopping so hard, you have proven yourself worthy," the red dragon announced and knighted the baby dragon with his own tail. "I hereby dub you 'rookie dragon', and will now perform the initiation ritual." He then grabbed Spike and noogied him before putting him back down. "Rrrrgh." He chuckled. "Now let's party _dragon style_!"

The teenage dragons all cheered and they danced around the crater while the grownup dragons all napped, ate gems, and had a bunch of fun.

* * *

Some time later, the teenage dragons were all sprawled on the ground, exhausted from their party, and they were full from eating so many gems.

"Man, was that a great party," Spike commented, patting his full belly.

"Great?" Garble snorted and patted the baby dragon's shoulder. "Huh, maybe by Ponyville standards. Stick with us, Spike. We still got plenty to teach you about being a dragon."

Spike smiled and sighed. "I'm not going anywhere," he declared. "The way I feel right now, I could hang out with you guys forever."

Hiding behind a rock that whole time to keep tabs on the baby dragon while still in costume, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Sunrise Blossom, Sarah, and Twilight Sparkle all gasped with alarm. "Forever?!"

Were they going to lose Spike to the dragons?!

* * *

A/N: Uh oh, is Spike really going to stay with the dragons forever? You'll just have to wait until Thursday to find out. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	5. Chapter 5: A CHANGE OF HEART

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Dragon Quest

A/N: Hello, world and welcome back to the final chapter. So, I'm a bit groggy since I was up late due to a closing shift at the movie theater, and it was busy because of _Avengers: Endgame_. So, if I make any goofs, that's why. Anyway, it's a nice sunny day and it's time to wrap up this story.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE: A CHANGE OF HEART**

While the teenage dragons were relaxing, the five ponies were wondering what they were going to do if Spike really did decide to stay with the dragons, and Rarity was having a panic attack over the thought of losing their baby dragon like this.

"Spikey-wikey is going to stay with these awful dragons?" she whimpered. "Forever?"

"Oh no, this is terrible!" Twilight Sparkle moaned, and both Sunrise Blossom and Sarah agreed.

"I should've stopped him back at the library when I had the chance!" Rainbow Dash complained.

The purple unicorn shook her head. "No, Rainbow Dash, this is all _my _fault!" she stated. "I encouraged him to go!"

"No, this is on all of us," Sunrise Blossom countered.

Sarah hushed them. "Listen! The dragons are talking again."

And sure enough, Garble was standing once again and so was Spike and several other teenage dragons. "Y'know, Spike, I think you just might be ready for a real dragon raid," he remarked and the dragons cheered. "There's a nest full of phoenix eggs nearby, and we're gonna swipe 'em!"

"Aren't you totally psyched to go on this raid?" Clump asked, slapping the baby dragon on the back, knocking him down.

"Oh yeah, I'm excited," Spike agreed, sitting up and not admitting that he was terrified at thought of harming helpless eggs. "I mean, I'm psyched."

"Alright then. Let's fly!" Garble called out and he flew into the air, followed by many of the teenage dragons.

Spike, however, had an idea of how he could avoid the raid since he couldn't fly. "Uh, sorry, guys!" he called out to them, standing up. "I guess I'll meet you back here at the crater! After the whole raid thing's over? We'll totally hang then! Whoahoa!" he yelped when Clump suddenly flew from behind and scooped him up.

"Oh no, they took Spike!" Rainbow Dash yelped. "We've gotta go after them!" And she tried to fly away, dragging her friends and the costume with her.

"Rainbow Dash, stop!" Twilight Sparkle yelped. "We can't fly!"

"And you're ruining my fabulous costume!" Rarity shrieked.

"Lava ahead! Lava head!" Sarah and Sunrise Blossom both screamed, and they stopped short of the edge of the lava pool.

Rainbow Dash hung her head in shame, her ears drooping. "I'm sorry, but we gotta help Spike!"

"Well, we're just gonna have to hoof it!" Twilight Sparkle declared and they climbed out of the crater. Spotting the flying dragons in the distance, they hurried down the other side of the volcano.

* * *

The sun had set by the time that Garble, Clump, Spike, and Fume arrived in the forest while the other teenage dragons had been instructed to return to the volcano before their parents woke up, and they hid themselves behind a bush. While the three teenage dragons were snickering and looking forward to the raid, Spike was wishing he was somewhere else.

"Alright, Spike," Garble whispered after peering through the bush at the nest and the two phoenix's sitting in it. "Since you're our rookie dragon, you get to lure the parents away from the nest."

Spike smiled weakly. "Heh… Lucky me…"

"Well go on, then!" Garble hissed, shoving the baby dragon out into the open.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix!" Spike called out nervously and the two phoenix's briefly glanced at him. "I was hoping I could have a word with you? Um, I'd, um, like to ask you some questions actually…"

Becoming impatient, Garble shoved a rock into the baby dragon's claws. "We haven't got all day, Spike!" he hissed.

'_I'm _so _going to regret this,' _Spike thought and then shoved his guilt away. "Hey, you bird brains!" he shouted, throwing the rock and it hit the father phoenix on the head. "Come and get me!" And he ran away, yelping and screaming as the phoenix's cawed and flew after him, going into full flame mode.

The moment they were out of sight, the three teenage dragons flew up to the nest, and Garble stared in shock when they saw that there were five phoenix chicks chirping up at them, surrounded by broken shards of eggs. "What the…?"

"The eggs have hatched," Fume grumbled.

"What do we do now?" Clump wondered.

"We take the hatchlings, of course!" Garble exclaimed and they went after the phoenix chicks, which managed to avoid them, and soon they were chasing the raspberry-blowing chicks through the forest. "Get 'em!" What the dragons didn't know, that when they destroyed the nest, a sixth unhatched phoenix egg had fallen to the ground, and it was unbroken.

* * *

Meanwhile, Spike was still being chased by the parents, yelping and positive that they were going to roast him when he accidentally tripped and sprawled on the ground. However, when the screeching of the phoenix chicks reached the ears of the parents, they turned, and flew back to save their babies. The baby dragon looked up, surprised, and he cautiously followed them back through the forest.

* * *

Garble was getting close to catching the phoenix chicks when the parents suddenly snatched them out of harm's way, and he growled in frustration. "Ohh… Get them!" And now they were chasing the whole family through the trees. Just when the dragons thought they were going to catch them, the father phoenix suddenly flared up, blinding them-

_Crash! _The teenage dragons slammed into the trunk of tall tree so that their heads were sticking out the other side. "Ugh!"

"Nnngh, they got away!" Garble complained as the phoenix family flew away to safety. "I hate that!" And then the tree went crashing down, pinning them to the ground.

"Oof!"

* * *

When Spike returned to the tree with the ruined nest, and then he saw the phoenix egg lying on the ground. "Huh, what have we got here?" he wondered, picking it up, and then the three teenage dragons returned, landing around him. "What happened?" he asked.

"They got away!" Garble complained and then he saw what the baby dragon was holding. "Hey! _You _stole an egg?"

Spike blinked and looked at the egg. "Uh…"

"Well, I guess the raid wasn't a total waste after all," Garble remarked, impressed as Fume and Clump both cheered. "Nice going, Spike."

"Well, what are you waiting for, Spike?" Clump asked eagerly. "Smash it!"

"Smash the egg?" the baby dragon asked, startled.

Clump nodded. "Yeah!"

"Yeah, throw it on the ground as hard as you can!" Fume agreed.

"Yeah! Smash it! Smash it! Smash it! Smash it! Smash it!" the three dragons chanted.

Spike raised the egg, preparing to smash it, but then he lowered the egg, cradling it instead. "No!" he snapped, startling the teenage dragons. "It's just a defenseless egg, like I was! And I'm not gonna let you hurt it!"

Garble stared at the baby dragon with narrowed eyes. "What did you say?"

"I said no," Spike answered firmly.

"No one says no to me," Garble growled and advanced toward the baby dragon, who turned to run, only to run into the 'dragon', and they were surprised when the costume was tossed aside to reveal the five ponies.

Rainbow Dash and the others positioned themselves in front of Spike. "Nopony's gonna lay a claw on him!" she announced.

"That's right!" Twilight Sparkle agreed, glaring at the three dragons.

"You want Spike, you'll have to go through _us_!" Sunrise Blossom snapped.

"Yeah, so just go away!" Sarah added.

"Fighting's not really my thing," Rarity admitted with a flip of her mane, "I'm more into fashion, but _I'll rip you to pieces if you touch one scale on his cute little head!"_

The three dragons stared at the ponies for several seconds, and then they started laughing.

"Ooh, scary, hehe!" Garble sneered. "Spike, are these namby-pamby ponies your friends?"

"Yes, they are," Spike answered proudly, and he was glad to see five of his friends. "And they're better friends than _you _could ever be. Now, if you don't back off, you'll see what us _ponies _do when confronted by a huge group of _jerky _dragons."

"Oh, yeah?" Garble challenged, snorting. "What's that?"

"_Run away_!" Spike screamed and they all fled as the dragons gave chase. As they ran through the forest, it was clear that the dragons were gaining on them, and the twins combined their magic to teleport the group to safety.

Blinded by the flash of pink/green magic, the three dragons went crashing into another tree, which then fell to the ground, and they were pinned once again.

* * *

With a brilliant flash of light, the group reappeared outside the forest and collapsed to the ground, Spike making sure that the egg didn't get broken, and he turned to the ponies as they picked themselves up, grateful for their timely arrival.

"Phew, that was a close one," he remarked. "Thanks, you guys."

Twilight Sparkle smiled, despite the fact that both she and Sunrise Blossom were winded from using so much magic to teleport them all like that. "Of course," she agreed. "What are friends for?"

"You're more than friends," the baby dragon informed them, his eyes brimming with tears. "You're my family." And this lead to them doing a group hug before heading back to Ponyville.

* * *

The next morning, Spike sat next to one of the windows in the study, where he was busy writing a letter to Princess Celestia to let her know about the friendship lesson he'd learned, and as he wrote, he glanced fondly at both the framed photos of his friends and at the small nest he'd built for the phoenix egg, which was getting plenty of warm sunlight.

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_Seeing the great dragon migration made me wonder what it meant to be a dragon. But now I realize that _who_I am is not the same as _what _I am. I may have been born a dragon, but Equestria and my pony friends have taught me how to be kind, loyal, and true! I'm proud to call Ponyville my home, and to have my pony friends as my family._

_Yours truly,_

_Spike_

The baby dragon had just finished signing the letter when he heard the egg start cracking. Setting aside the letter and the quill, he hurried over to the egg just as it hatched, revealing a phoenix chick, which started chirping the moment it saw him.

"Aww," Spike said, chuckling as he carefully picked up the phoenix chick and hugged it. "Hey, welcome to the family, Peewee! Stick with me. I've got plenty to teach you about being a pony."

* * *

A/N: And this story is done! I found out later that Spike did return the Phoenix chick back to his family, even though it was hard to do. I know that there are those who aren't fans of Spike, but I do like how he stood up to the other dragons like he did. Anyway, I will see you all on Monday because I have work Tuesday morning. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


End file.
